I stand before you this evening, 20 years since President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela walked out of prison.

We have chosen this as the day to call this Joint Sitting of Parliament to deliver the State of the Nation Address, to celebrate a watershed moment that changed our country.
The release of Madiba was brought about by the resolute struggles of the South African people.
You will recall that the masses of this country, in their different formations, responded with determination to the call to make the country ungovernable and apartheid unworkable.
We are celebrating this day with former political prisoners who we have specially invited to join us.
We welcome in particular those who have travelled from abroad to be here, Helene Pastoors, Michael Dingake from Botswana, Mr Andimba Toivo ya Toivo of SWAPO in Namibia.
We are pleased to be joined by members of the legal team in the Rivonia Treason trial – Lord Joel Joffe, who is now based in London and Judge Arthur Chaskalson.
We also remember and pay tribute to Mr Harry Schwarz, who sadly passed away last week.
He was amongst other things, a member of the Rivonia defence team.
We extend our gratitude to our friends and comrades in the international community, for fighting side by side with us to achieve freedom.
We extend a special welcome to the Mandela family.
They became a symbol of the sacrifices of many who bore the brunt of apartheid.
We greet the leadership of the ruling party and Alliance partners, for whom this is an extra special occasion.

Compatriots and friends,

On this special day, we must also acknowledge the contribution of those within the leadership of the National Party, who eventually realised that apartheid had no future.
Allow me to mention the role played by former President PW Botha.
It was he who initiated the discussion about the possible release of political prisoners.
President Botha worked with the former Minister of Justice, Mr Kobie Coetzee, who was in turn assisted by Dr Neil Barnard and Mr Mike Louw.
They played a significant role in the process leading to the release of Madiba.

Honourable Members,

South Africa is yet to acknowledge in full, the critical role played by the former President of the ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo, who laid the foundation for this country to become a shining example of freedom and democracy.

It was his outstanding leadership, foresight and clarity of vision that led the ANC to intensify the pursuit of a negotiated settlement.
His wisdom was also displayed in the Harare Declaration which he wrote and championed.
It was this that laid the groundwork for the historic announcements by President FW de Klerk, 20 years ago.

In this, President de Klerk demonstrated great courage and decisive leadership.
On this great day, let me also acknowledge the role played by the late Ms Helen Suzman.
She was for a long time, a lone voice in Parliament, calling for change.
We also recognise the role of the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who also called for Madiba’s release, as well as that of other prisoners and the return of exiles.

We reiterate our heartfelt gratitude to the international community for its unwavering support to our struggle.
These moments in our history demonstrate our ability to come together, even under the most difficult of circumstances, and to put the country’s interests first above all other interests.

Deur saam te werk, kan ons meer bereik.

Honourable members,

During the course of this year, we will mark the centenary of the establishment of the Union of South Africa.
This created a unitary state.
Significantly, the exclusion of black people from this Union was one of the chief reasons for the formation of the African National Congress in 1912.
As we mark this centenary later in the year, we should reflect on how far we have travelled as a country.

Honourable Members,

We recall the words of Madiba on his release, when he said:

“I stand before you, not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.

Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today.

I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”

These words inspire us not to rest, until we achieve the ideals of a society free of poverty and deprivation.
In the two decades since the release of Madiba, our country has changed fundamentally.
President Mandela united this country behind the goal of a non-sexist, non-racial, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
As we celebrate Madiba’s release today, let us recommit ourselves to building a better future for all South Africans, black and white.
Let us pursue the ideal for which Madiba has fought his entire life – the ideal of a democratic and free society, in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

Honourable Members,

We called a joint sitting in the evening so that the majority in our country, workers and school children, can be part of the occasion.
We are impressed by the enthusiasm of the youth about the occasion.
Two hundred and sixty six children from all provinces participated in the pre-State of the Nation debate on the role of the youth in the fight against poverty.

We congratulate the overall winner, Charlotte Le Fleur of Worcester Secondary School and all the participants for the hard work.

Compatriots and friends,

We are meeting against the backdrop of a global economic crisis.
Last year, we experienced our first recession in 17 years.
The crisis cost our economy about 900 000 jobs.
Many of those who lost their jobs were the breadwinners in poor families.

In February last year, government, business, labour and community representatives agreed on a package of measures to reduce the scale and impact of the crisis. We have put many of these measures in place.
We have implemented decisive anti-recession spending by government, especially on infrastructure.
To ensure a safety cushion for the poor, we brought social grant increases forward, and extended the child support grant to children over 14 years of age. In the next three years, an additional two million children from poor households, aged 15 to 18 years, will benefit from the child support grant.
The Industrial Development Corporation has put aside R6 billion to help companies in distress.
Government introduced a “training lay-off scheme” to allow workers the option of a period of training instead of retrenchment.
These efforts were enhanced by our public works programme.

The nation will recall that during the 2009 State of the Nation Address, I announced that the Expanded Public Works Programme would create 500 000 work opportunities, by December 2009.
Let me reiterate that these are not jobs in the mainstream economy.
These are job opportunities created to provide unemployed people with an income, work experience, and training opportunities.

Honourable Members, Fellow South Africans,

We are pleased to announce that by the end of December, we had created more than 480 000 public works job opportunities, which is 97% of the target we had set.
The jobs are in areas like construction, home and community based care, and environmental projects.
We have identified some areas of improvement which we will effect going forward, including ensuring more labour intensive projects.
We know that these and other measures cannot fully mitigate the effects of the recession.
We are grateful for the spirit of family, community and voluntary work that inspires many people to help those most affected by the crisis, through these difficult times.

Honourable Members,

Economic indicators suggest that we are now turning the corner.
Economic activity is rising in South Africa, and we expect growth going forward.
The labour statistics released on Tuesday, show that the economy is now creating jobs rather than shedding them.
It is too soon, though, to be certain of the pace of recovery.
Government will therefore not withdraw its support measures.
Now is the time to lay the groundwork for stronger growth going forward, and for growth that gives rise to more jobs.

Our long-term infrastructure programme will help us grow faster.
Our education and skills programmes will increase our productivity and competitiveness.

Our Industrial Policy Action Plan and our new focus on green jobs, will build stronger and more labour absorbing industries.
Our rural development programme will improve rural productivity, and the lives of people living in rural areas.
Underpinning our strategy for economic recovery and growth, is our capital investment programme.

Over the next three years government will spend R846 billion on public infrastructure.
On transport, we will maintain and expand our road network.
We will ensure that our rail network is reliable, competitive and better integrated with our sea ports.
To ensure reliable power supply, we have established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Energy, to develop a 20 year integrated resource plan.

Among other things, this will look at the participation of independent power producers, and protecting the poor from rising electricity prices.
We will establish an independent system operator, separate from Eskom Holdings.
Eskom will continue to build additional generation capacity and improve the maintenance of its power stations.
To ensure the promotion of an inclusive economy, to aid growth and development, we have established the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council, chaired by the President.
The most urgent focus of policy change must be interventions to create jobs for young people.
Unemployment rates for young people are substantially higher than the average.
Proposals will be tabled to subsidise the cost of hiring younger workers, to encourage firms to take on inexperienced staff.
A further expansion of public employment programmes is also underway.
This includes local infrastructure and literacy projects, home-based care, school maintenance and early childhood development initiatives.

Last year we launched the National Youth Development Agency.
We have directed the Agency to work faster to establish its structures, throughout the country, so that it can assist us to mainstream youth development programmes within government.

Honourable Members,

When this administration came into office last year, we undertook to work harder to build a strong developmental state.
We said it would be a state that responds to the needs and aspirations of the people, and which performs better and faster.
This year, 2010, shall be a year of action.
The defining feature of this administration will be that it knows where people live, understands their needs, and responds faster.
Government must work faster, harder and smarter.

We will expect the executive and the public service to comply with this vision.
We are building a performance-oriented state, by improving planning as well as performance monitoring and evaluation.
We also need to integrate gender equity measures into the government’s programme of action.
This action will ensure that women, children and persons with disabilities can access developmental opportunities.

We are pleased to announce a new way of doing things in government.

The work of Departments will be measured by outcomes, developed through our performance monitoring and evaluation system.
The Ministers who are responsible for a particular outcome, will sign a detailed Delivery Agreement with the President.
It will outline what is to be done, how, by whom, within what time period and using what measurements and resources.

As you are aware, we are committed to five priorities:
education, health, rural development and land reform, creating decent work, and fighting crime.
In addition, we will work to improve the effectiveness of local government, infrastructure development and human settlements.
We will undertake a number of key activities towards the achievement of these outcomes.

We have placed education and skills development at the centre of this government’s policies.
In our 2010 programme, we want to improve the ability of our children to read, write and count in the foundation years.
Unless we do this, we will not improve the quality of education.
Our education targets are simple but critical.
We want learners and teachers to be in school, in class, on time, learning and teaching for seven hours a day.

We will assist teachers by providing detailed daily lesson plans.
To students we will provide easy-to-use workbooks in all 11 languages.
From this year onwards, all grade 3, 6 and 9 students will write literacy and numeracy tests that are independently moderated.
We aim to increase the pass rate for these tests from the current average of between 35 and 40% to at least 60% by 2014.
Results will be sent to parents to track progress.

In addition, each of our 27 000 schools will be assessed by officials from the Department of Basic Education.
This will be recorded in an auditable written report.
We aim to increase the number of matric students who are eligible for university admission to
175 000 a year by 2014.

We urge parents to cooperate with us in making this a success.
We welcome last month’s statement by the three teacher unions, NAPTOSA, SADTU and SAOU, reaffirming their commitment to the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign from the beginning of 2010.

Honourable Members,

We need to invest in our youth to ensure a skilled and capable workforce to support growth and job creation.

We therefore plan to increase the training of 16-25 year olds in further education and training facilities.
This will enable us to provide a second chance at education, for those who do not qualify for university.
We are working with higher education institutions to ensure that eligible students obtain financial assistance, through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
We have also set ambitious targets for skills development, to produce additional engineers and technicians, and to increase the number of qualified mathematics and science teachers.
We must also increase the number of youth who enter learnerships in the private and public sectors.

Honourable members,

Another key outcome is to ensure a long and healthy life for all South Africans.
We will continue to improve our health care system.
This includes building and upgrading hospitals and clinics, and further improving the working conditions of health care workers.
We have partnered with the Development Bank of Southern Africa to improve the functionality of public hospitals and their district offices.
We are also collaborating with the DBSA and the Industrial Development Corporation, in a Public-Private Partnership programme to improve hospitals and provide finance for projects.

Honourable Members,

We must confront the fact that life expectancy at birth, has dropped from 60 years in 1994 to just below 50 years today.
We are therefore making interventions to lower maternal mortality rates, to reduce new HIV infections and to effectively treat HIV and tuberculosis.
We will also reduce infant mortality through a massive immunisation programme.
We will reinstate health programmes in schools.
We will implement all the undertakings made on World Aids Day relating to new HIV prevention and treatment measures.
Intensive work is underway to ensure that this work is on schedule.
We will also continue preparations for the establishment of a national health insurance system.

Fellow South Africans,

We are working hard to ensure that everyone in South Africa feels safe and is safe.
We will take further our work to reduce serious and violent crimes, and ensure that the justice system works efficiently.
We are implementing plans to increase the number of police men and women by 10% over the next three years.
We have identified the fight against hijacking, business and house robberies, as well as contact crimes such as murder, rape, and assault, as top priorities.
We all have a role to play.
Let us participate in community safety forums.
Let us stop buying stolen goods.
Let us always be ready to provide the police with information about criminal activity.

Tshebedisano mmoho etla lwantsha botloko-tsebe.

Compatriots and esteemed guests,

Local government must work.
Municipalities must improve the provision of housing, water, sanitation, electricity, waste management and roads.
We held a meeting with mayors and municipal managers last year.
This provided valuable insight into the challenges in local government.
We also visited various communities and municipalities, including Balfour in Mpumalanga and Thembisa in Gauteng.
After the Balfour visit, we sent a nine member Ministerial team to visit the area to address the issues that had been raised by the community.
A number of issues have already received attention.
I have directed the Ministers to attend to the outstanding matters.
We reiterate, that there are no grievances that can justify violence and the destruction of property.
We have directed law enforcement agencies to take a tougher stance on lawlessness in Balfour and other areas.
In December 2009, Cabinet approved a turnaround strategy for local government.
This will ensure that local government has the correct management, administrative and technical skills.

During this year of action, let us work together to make local government everybody’s business.
We are working to upgrade well-located informal settlements and provide proper service and land tenure to at least 500 000 households by 2014.
We plan to set aside over 6 000 hectares of well-located public land for low income and affordable housing.

A key new initiative will be to accommodate people whose salaries are too high to get government subsidies, but who earn too little to qualify for a normal bank mortgage.
We will set up a guarantee fund of R1 billion to incentivise the private banking and housing sector, to develop new products to meet this housing demand.

In this regard, we launched the first pilot site of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in Giyani, Limpopo in August last year.
Since then, 231 houses have been built.
Progress has also been made in providing infrastructure to support agricultural development, and training for community members.
Access to health and education facilities has improved.
We are implementing similar programmes in seven sites across the country, benefiting 21 wards.
By 2014, we aim to have sites in 160 wards.
We want 60% of households in these sites to meet their food requirements from own production by 2014.

We also need to better integrate land reform and agricultural support programmes.
Our success in this area will be measured by the increase in the number of small scale farmers that become economically viable.

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson of the NCOP,

We are not a water rich country.
Yet we still lose a lot of water through leaking pipes and inadequate infrastructure.
We will be putting in place measures to reduce our water loss by half by 2014.

Honourable Members,

As part of our efforts to encourage greater economic growth, we are working to reduce the cost to communicate.
The South African public can look forward to an even further reduction of broadband, cell phone, landline and public phone rates.
We will work to increase broadband speed and ensure a high standard of internet service, in line with international norms.

Fellow South Africans,

This government will ensure that our environmental assets and natural resources are well protected, and are continually enhanced.

Together with Brazil, India and China, and joined by the United States which represented the developed world, we made a significant contribution to the accord adopted at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December last year.
Although it does not go as far as required, it is an important step forward as it commits all countries to respond to climate change.
We will work hard with our international counterparts towards a legally binding treaty.
As South Africa we have voluntarily committed ourselves to specific emission reduction targets, and will continue working on our long term climate change mitigation strategy.

Honourable Members,

We will intensify efforts to promote the interests of South Africa globally.
We will support efforts to speed up the political and economic integration of the SADC region, and promote intra-regional trade and investment.
South Africa continues to play a leading role in continental efforts to strengthen the African Union and its organs, and to work for unity.
We will focus energy on revitalising the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, as a strategy for economic development on the continent.

Fellow South Africans,

The public service has to respond to the call to make this term one of faster action and improved State performance.
We require excellence and hard work.
We need public servants who are dedicated, capable and who care for the needs of citizens.
Government is already working on the development and implementation of a public service development programme, which will set the norms and standards for public servants in all spheres.

Honourable Members,

We continue our efforts to eradicate corruption and fraud in procurement and tender processes, and in applications for drivers’ licences, social grants, and identity documents, among others.
We are pleased with the progress government is making in some areas.
This week, we terminated 32 687 fraudulent social grants payments, valued at R180 million.
Our Inter-Ministerial Committee on Corruption is looking at ways to decisively defeat corruption.

Nga u shumisana rothe ringa bveledza zwinzhi.

Compatriots,

As you are aware, we introduced the Presidential Hotline to make government and the Presidency more accessible to the public, and to help unblock service delivery blockages.
The Hotline represents our determination to do things differently in government.
It has made a difference in the lives of many South Africans.
We can mention Mrs Buziwe Ngaleka of Mount Frere, whose call about her late husband’s pension was the first we took on the first day of the service.
She is with us here tonight.
We also have among us Mr Nkululeko Cele, who was helped to obtain identity documents which allowed him to enroll at Tshwane University of Technology.

These are just two among many success stories.
From these and other examples, we identify weaknesses that should be rectified by various spheres of government.
Through the Speaker, we have invited a multiparty delegation from Parliament to visit the call centre, so that MPs can get a first hand account of the work done.

Compatriots and friends,

I have outlined the main elements of our plans for 2010, our collective commitment as government to the people of South Africa. The State of the Nation Address provides a broad overview of our action plan. Ministers will provide the detail in their respective Budget Vote speeches.

Honourable Members, Fellow South Africans,

In November this year, we will mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa. It provides an opportunity to recognise the important contribution of the Indian community in the fields of labour, business, science, sports, religion, arts, culture and the achievement and consolidation of our democracy.

Compatriots and friends,

Let me take this opportunity to once again extend our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Haiti on the monumental tragedy that has befallen them.
We are pleased that our rescue teams were able to go and assist.
I would like to especially recognise one South African who never fails to assist in times of disasters, and helps us to promote the vision of a caring society. We welcome Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of the Gift of the Givers in this House.

Fellow South Africans,

The hosting of the FIFA World Cup makes 2010 truly a year of action.
We have spent many years planning for this World Cup. We only have three months to go. And we are determined to make a success of it. The infrastructure, security and logistics arrangements are in place to ensure a successful tournament.
As a nation we owe a debt of gratitude to the 2010 Local Organising Committee for their sterling effort. We wish the LOC Chairperson Irvin Khoza, CEO Danny Jordaan and Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira all the best for the months ahead.

President Mandela was central in assisting the country to win the rights to host this great event. We therefore have to make the World Cup a huge success in his honour.
Compatriots, let us also stand behind the national team Bafana Bafana.
Most importantly, ithikithi esandleni bakwethu!
Let us all buy tickets timeously to be able to attend the games.

Fellow South Africans,

As we celebrate Madiba’s release today, we recommit ourselves to reconciliation, national unity, non-racialism and building a better future together as South Africans, black and white.

We are guided by what Madiba said in the dock, that:

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people.

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society, in which all persons live together in harmony, and with equal opportunities.

It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to achieve.

But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”.

Inspired by our icon Madiba, it is my honour to dedicate this 2010 State of the Nation Address, to all our heroes and heroines, sung and unsung, known and unknown.
Let us work together to make this year of action a successful one for our country.

It is advisable for all of us not to confuse a state of the nation address as a detailed government programme of action. The address is bound to cover only significant issues that form the focal point of goverment programs and not the nitigrities. It therefore becomes the assignment of all government departments to formulate, review and implement their individual plans within the boundries of the core aspects that the President would have tabled in his address. It is a pity to hear unfounded critics to the President’s speech on account of political and racial differences.
Constructive criticisms are permissible to assist future improvements, but destructive ones like Zille’s would not be permitted to stand the test of time for as long as our hard-earned democracy shall exist. Well-balanced address Mr. President, the nation is behind you all the way. I am hopeful indeed.

Galvanising!! what galvanising?Dandala, your reaction to the President’s address made me to believe that politicians are not made but are born. It is my humble advice to you to consider going back to the church, we as the congregation need you. From the bottom of my heart,you do not seem to me to be a political material, I think you can undisputably make a good marriage counsellor rather than you adding sault on COPE’s wounds due to your lack of political stature. You and I know that this time around, you criticised for the sake of being a member of COPE and not because the President’s address did not entice you.Lets face it Mr Reverend!!

In his opening thanks, Zuma made no mention of the hardworking opposition, ignoring the fact that they are part of the government as much as the ANC is. He acknowledged Gatsha Buthalezi for his role in fighting apartheid, and all others were mandatory fellow parliamentarians.

So it was just another ANC propaganda excercise, and a personal excercise for Zuma where he can practice his trade without showing his shame of his adultry and his unsafe sexual practices.

At least the ANC did the right thing and stole some decent policy ideas from the DA, according to Zille.

Solly! You don’t know what you talking about yourself. If it was so Obama could have done the same as Zuma did but he did not he Spoke to the people.
What is your president going to do with Aids? Nothing because he is scared to even mention that word… Jobs? Nothing… Poor? Nothing… S.A State? Nothing… The BBEEE? Nothing… Then what did he speak about..? No one knows he was just trying to read his papers actually he did address nobody.

Our President cant even say “Hello” in all our official languages!!!! Need I say more?! I just dont know why???? And thing is…he might not even serve in the 2nd terms but THAT isnt necessarily good news either because he MIGHT just be replaced by someone capable of being worse than him….Malema! From JZ to JM???? * weep *

I agree fully with Mr Solly Mothiba, the President delivered a good address. It is sad that the opposition only looks for the negative in anything that the president does or says. I Applaud him for being a man of dignity one who does not resort to back biting and negative slander against other politicians like the Honorable Helen Ziller does. Why is it that none of you who are staunch supporters of the opposition party don’t discuss the negative things that are done by your party members. Sometimes I think that people believe that just because a person is white so are their intentions and actions. Ultimately in my opinion I felt hat the President is doing his best. The constant bickering about job creation and the state of the economy if really just stupid and displays the mind of an ignorant person, IT IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM not one of President Zuma alone or the ANC. Rev Dandala Is 9 vs 6 tells us that the Government is on the shoulders of God He carries them and as ministers and church leaders it is our duty to pray for our leaders, because to step out of that line is to be disobedient to the word of God that we profess to uphold and refer to for guidance and to be disobedient is SIN. You need to get back to the church. Jesus became a man of influence not because he joined any political party but because he ministered the gospel of Christ to the nations. Leave politics to the politicians and Leave the President to God to judge not you.

I wonder would everyone be happy if the President of the country was an affluent middle aged white man with enough degree and doctorates to clog the hole in the ozone layer and made you a whole list of fake promises. Maybe it would of have been better if his name was Vervoet or Botha or De Klerk or ever Ziller HUH! I believe that you Darwin freaks just cant read and have a very limited understanding of the English language, but then again I wouldn’t hold that again any of you after all it is a white mans theory that people come of monkeys so go chew on a banana brew and leave the other more intellectual things to people who actually have some insight. Peace I’m out.

480 000 jobs created – brilliant, now how many jobs were lost in the past year ? We are talking about the STATE of the nation are we not ? I couldn’t sworn I heard him 2months ago admitting that they over promised on the 500K jobs, all of a sudden they managed to do it ? & how abt putting personal matters aside & congratulating Mbeki for his continued meditation efforts (on behalf of S.A), no lets congratulate Ghatsha instead! How abt addressing issues that we normal people hear abt – Nationalisation of Mines (can a stance be taken by the President to clarify !) great stuff about the police (not sure y it takes 3yrs though), the 1bn for banks & housing (claimed by D.A lol) great 1, but I summarise the State of the Nation as a poor delivery of promises & not the true reflection of the current state of the nation. It was a whole lot of nothing (coming from the president), I’d expect to hear this speech from a minster, to wait this long for this poor delivery of hot air – disappointing & so uninspiring.

oh wow! people being called monkeys…so brave! there is nothing that will satisfy some people, so itz no use even trying.

the point is that speeches are great and all, but action speaks loader. yes so Zuma has a million odd kids! yes he does not take care of his own health, but in part (ironically) thatz showz m to be a man of action! Mbeki was a great speaker; like Clinton; but there were more declarations of war under Clinton than under the Reagan & Bush(sr) administration combined & Mbeki nothing else but create a bigger gap between the rich & poor! the international community loved them though! I guess fools are fooled by speeches, whereas the of us actually see action where it really matters.

@Mrs Payne… I’m South African and proud of it but you know what… With so much incompetent, greedy, criminals, useless black ppl on top..; I so wish that a president be a “white male” coz one thing for sho they will NEVA put us on slavery again but they MIGHT do beta than this.
@Putso… Thanks 4clarifying coz there r no jobs dat were created da ppl employed & tenders 2build stadiums were employed at Mbeki’s term.

@JD… Agreed JD action speaks louder than speeches. What has Zuma actioned so far… kids and prostitution. Oh yha sho… Da man must be given tym… Ag we heard that before he has been in the office long enough. Innocent people are being killed by police who happened to be worse criminals by da way. What happened to da 15 Mil drugs??? Only cops knows.

the government created jobs as oppose to entrepreneurial creation of jobs; or lack of the latter; is what keep people still at loggerheads with government.

we ponder on any negative – driven by the media & opposition to reform – to the extent that it becomes detrimental to our own growth & in failure, return to blame government. we ignore our responsibility to our own wellbeing; in a free market & democratized state; by acting un-disciplined in all spheres of our self-preservation – be it financial, personal security, entertainment limitations, social responsibility, humility, etc. – & want to return the ungratified & unfavorable return of our immature investments onto government’s deficit.

we seem to be a nation consisting a large group of habitual blamers & complainers. that can only (this, otherwise it would buffle the mind & leave all sensible explanation dumbstruck) derive from an innate slave servant mentality, that never parted ways since the inane apartheid era.

I say this because job creation through self motivated endeavors of entrepreneurship seem few & far between in our vast country. community upliftment projects gets little support from the residents of such communities. crime initiatives by community and/or government are crippled by a sense of lawlessness; felt a right; by individuals in many communities. & so one can continue.

yes many faults lies with government & some of their departments, but it is prevalent & prevailing because of our own greedy individualism that seeks – as some accusations against government – to enrich selfishly without reaching out to the rest.

I implore on all critics of government & other, “lets start our journey by creating & buildng, instead of our constant bickering & conplaining. & maybe we will reach a point of self-sustainability & not a constant reliance that leads to conflict in own?!”

oh & Stana, I didn’t ask for time! white men, back men, coloured men…who cares?! what makes you a man?

& for those who think i’m saying this from a comfortable, government presented armchair… I am an unemployed male, whoz business failed, but is willing to try again! …maybe any jobz for a co-blogger? hahahahahaha!

Zuma’s State of the Nation speech could have been raised from a virtual non-event to something spectacular with the addition of one sentence – “In the light of my uncontrolled ***-addiction and the shame and disgrace I have brought on the Nation I hereby tender my resignation as the President of South Africa.”

Shame on you poor stana, you are a bitter racist that has no place in the new south africa. Your days are gone.You are lunatic. It is buffoons like you who would give an impression to the black masses out there that all whites(so called) are racist. You are a poison to the national democratic revolution and deserve to be eliminated. You’ve got no right to call the head of state a monkey. I advise you to take a close range observation under your pants and you will see a ‘pink monkey’!! Accept change poor stanana(your new name,,don’t ask me what it means, you dont deserve my teachings). You are a shame indeed,even birds will laugh at you!!

i dont support JZ…but to call any1 a monkey…well that’s too low, n to have some white middle aged guy for president, not a bad idea, but where was he during apartheid? suddenly therez so many Democrats in SA.

Tumi, culturally speaking, when a white person refers to another as a monkey, it is not necessarily a racist derogatory term, just derogatory. To have suplanted the word with ‘idiot’ would have not changed the meaning.

What is wrong with being a democrat in a democratic country? The ANC would do much better with a bigger share of democrats.

@ Tumi and Solly… For your information I am not even white I am an native S. A Black man who will not sit back & wipe other monkeys asses just bcoz they black like me as well. Am I supposed to support Bull just bcoz Blacks are doing it??? OH!!!! HELL NO!!!
JZ is da biggest mistake in this country; Oh! you will think I am COPE… No I am not. I don’t support any political party. I am a business man who have discovered that to make my life worth I have to stand for myself and do what i have to do for my life & my ppl (regardless of race). That my business is expanding internationally I am facing the SHAME that these “POLITICAL MONKEYS” are putting us on. Thanks @ LARRY… May be I should have said it beta when I say “IDIOT MONKEYS” (bcoz even monkeys handle their world beta on their own). I am one of the previously disadvantaged, I was there prior 1994, mid 80s we have suffered all and that is why I am NOT going to keep quiet & let IDIOTS take that for granted and forget how we fought for this democracy, my story regarding apartheid is way longer than you think…
EEEHHH!!! SOLLY…!
I think your BOSSES (zuma & malema) have just damaged their pants… Go lick their asses… Go ahead brother is your job; I hope they pay you gud for that.
LOL!!!

This country’s leadership has sold its power to govern by forever wanting to please interests outside its intial manifesto. These include the media and foreing capitalist interests. They are negleting social issues; which are core to a stable country. A good example of lack of a sense proportionality can be seen with the world cup hosted. The spending into this 30 day event could refurbish all our indigenous, previosly black universities. The conditions on some of these institutions are a show of how far we have run from good common sense governance. The residents lack basic services such as laundry, study areas and hygiene. To ease the pain on South Africans, they say we must participate in a 1 Goal campaign. That just brushes aside that leadership has lost a sense of the vital force to govern and make truly lasting changes to our social and economic conditions.